A variety of support mechanisms or brackets for mounting, supporting or retaining conveyor rollers to conveyor roller assemblies or systems have heretofore been designed and utilized.
One example of such shaft support mechanism is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,617 B1. This patent relates to a shaft support comprising of a mounting yoke and a receiving block which is pivotally mounted to the yoke by a pair of pivot pins. The receiving block receives the shaft portion of the roller. The shaft support is pivotable about an axis extending generally along the direction of conveyance of a conveyor. The shaft support is further pivotable about a second axis which extends generally perpendicular.
Other examples of mounting or supporting structures for conveyor rollers can be found in the prior art.
In addition to mounting or supporting a conveyor roller, it is desirable to minimize the vibrations and level of noise produced by a conveyor roller or conveyor assembly in operation. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,010 shows a vibration conveyor having a working mass drivable in vibrations, a counter mass which is also driven via the working mass in vibrations which are transferred to a support or a mounting base, and a device for dampening or reducing the transmission. The device for dampening or reducing the transmission includes a plurality of roller bearing elements provided between the vibrating conveyor and a mounting base, where each is formed as a unit including two bearing shells with running tracks and at least one roller part between the running tracks. The running tracks before and after the roller part is inclined in opposite direction in form of a predetermined curve, and when the counter mass is driven in rotation the counter mass and the mounting base are pressed from one another by the roller bearing element, which results in dampening relative to the mounting base.
Another example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,155 which relates to a conveyor roller noise-isolator and wear-prevention system for mounting a conveyor roller to a conveyor system support frame. An apparatus is provided in which a conveyor roller axle is mounted to a conveyor side frame by a resilient bushing which serves to isolate the noise generated at the roller, to prevent the noise generated at the interface between the axle and the frame, and further to prevent wear on the axle and the frame. The bushing eliminates metal-to-metal contact at the mount interface and by having interference fits with the axle and with the frame to prevent relative motion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,676 relates to the mounting for a roller shaft in the frame of a conveyor designed to reduce the vibration of the shaft and the sound produced during conveyor operation. In several embodiments, the end of the shaft is provided with a taper, and a spring which is internal to the roller is used to bias the taper into the mounting hole. The resulting tight fit of the taper in the hole greatly reduces the vibration energy of the shaft. In another embodiment, a bushing separates the shaft and the hole and is designed to grip the shaft as it is pressed into place in the hole.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved mechanism for supporting or mounting the shaft of a conveyor roller to the conveyor assembly while effectively reducing the transmittal of vibrations of the conveyor roller, and thus the noise level, produced by the conveyor roller assembly in operation.
It is another object of the invention to reduce the tendency of fastening means to loosen under a vibrational environment.
It is a further object of this invention to provide for a more cost effective, durable and simpler apparatus to support a roller shaft end.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved method for dampening of vibrations in a conveyor roller assembly, and thus reducing the overall noise produced by same.